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Birth
Carl Gustav Hempel was born on the 8th of January, 1905. He was born in a town called Oranienburg, Germany. -
University of Berlin
Hempel studied philosophy, physics and mathematics at the University of Heidelberg before coming to the University of Berlin in 1925. While in Berlin he would study with Hans Reichenbach and would be introduced to the studies of Rudolf Carnap. Hempel came to believe that the symbolic logic was capable of resolving a large number problems faced by philosophy. -
The Vienna Circle
Hempel spends the fall semester studying in Vienna with advocates of logical positivism and members of a group known as “the Vienna Circle” -
CHICAGO
Hempel visits the university of Chicago -
NEW YORK
Hempel visits City College of New York and applies for teaching position, due to increasing Nazi presence in Germany, Hempel would apply for citizenship during this time as well. -
"General Laws"
Hempel authors “General Laws in History" and writes a number of articles in defense of logicism, although he would never fully adopt the term logicsism he stated that mathematics can be reduced to simple logic. -
THREE BOOK YEAR
Hempel authors three books “Studies in the Logic of Confirmation”, “The Nature of Mathematical Truth”, and “Geometry and Empirical Science”, he would also leave City College of New York for a position at Yale University. -
RAVENS
Hempel coins the Raven Paradox to illustrate a contradiction between intuition and logic. The paradox stems from the question, “what is evidence?” By observing things that are neither black nor ravens means that we have increased the likelihood that all ravens are black, however these observations at their core are totally unrelated. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SKmqh5Eu4Y -
Logic of Explanation
The Paper “studies in the Logic of Explanation” is published. It is authored by Hempel and co-colaborator Paul Oppenheim -
Problems and Changes
Hempel publishes “Problems and Changes in the Empiricist Criterion of Meaning” -
Cognitive Significance
1951-Hempel publishes “The Concept of Cognitive Significance: A Reconsideration” domnstrating the concepts of venerability as well as testability and their importance in sustainability of scientific claims. -
"EXPLICATION"
Hempel publishes a volume of the Encyclopedia of Unified Science titled “Fundamentals of Concept Formation in Empirical Science” at this time Hemple had endorsed “explication” as a way to take phrases that are vague and subject them to a systematic process of clarification. This process was used to satisfy criteria of semantic relevance and syntactical determinacy by clarifying vague meanings. -
Princeton
Hempel Moves to Princeton and begins his own research program -
“The Theoretician’s Dilemma”
Hempel publishes “The Theoretician’s Dilemma” -
Deductive-Nomological vs. Statistical Explanation
Hempel publishes “Rational Action” and “Deductive-Nomological vs. Statistical Explanation” -
Textbook
Hempel has a textbook Philosophy of Natural Science is transcribed into multiple languages and becomes a cornerstone text for many students for decades. -
Probabilistic Explanation
Hempel publishes “Maximal Specificity and Lawlikeness in Probabilistic Explanation” -
Retirement
Hempel retires from Princeton -
Reconsidering his position late in life
Hempel publishes “Limits of a Deductive Construal of the Function of Scientific Theories” which many scholars say enhanced his reputation due to his willingness to reconsider his earlier positions on topics of philosophy. -
Death
Hempel dies, and a number of his previously unpublished papers become available thanks to his family. some of these are collected and added to existing material. -
WORKS CITED
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Carl Gustav Hempel.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 4 Jan. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Carl-Gustav-Hempel. Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Carl Gustav Hempel.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 4 Jan. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Carl-Gustav-Hempel. Jeffrey, Richard. “In Memoriam: Carl Gustav Hempel.” Erkenntnis 47.3 (1997): 281–283. Web.
